


Come What May

by holdmymilktea



Series: Dreamcatcher OS [2]
Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Paris, F/F, Light-Hearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21749320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdmymilktea/pseuds/holdmymilktea
Summary: Her assigned buddy at uni had explained to her that one of the rare times you wouldn't get judged for talking to a stranger in Paris was to complain about something consensual like shitty weather, lack or inefficiency of the transportation system, strike or all of the above. Then it's perfectly fine. Siyeon never knew that she would apply this herself with someone from her own country.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Series: Dreamcatcher OS [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1541707
Comments: 3
Kudos: 72





	Come What May

**Author's Note:**

> AU where DC are exchange students in Paris, and there's a transportation strike. Yeah.  
> Just a light-hearted oneshot to warm our hearts.  
> Cross-posted on AFF  
> Twitter @holdmymilktea if ever you wanna talk :)

" _I told you! You should have left way earlier! It's the weekend, everything's blocked but it's Saturday evening, people still want to go out!_ "

A bus had arrived, and she looked at the people pushing and squeezing themselves in, not caring about the others around them. Siyeon ruffled her hair in frustration.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry! I thought I'd take the bus but I completely forgot about traffic jam."

She scanned the road. Given the long line of cars that probably went on for kilometers, even squeezing herself in the bus now probably wouldn't be the smartest idea as it’d be as fast as a sloth.

“ _Anticipation, Siyeon. Anticipation._ ”

She chose to ignore Yoohyeon’s lecture.

"When does it start?"

" _7pm._ "

"7pm? Can we enter after?"

" _I guess, yeah._ "

"Listen Yoohyeon.” Someone pushed her aside to reach the bus. Didn’t even say sorry, of course. “I don't think I can make it on time, but I'll arrive sooner or later. I'll find a way. Franklin Roosevelt station, right?"

" _Yeah. It's two minutes away on foot. You probably won't be the only one late. Just follow the Korean people you see when you reach there._ "

That was probably the vaguest explanation ever, but it made sense.

"Franklin Roosevelt, follow the Koreans. 'Kay, see you."

She hung up and quickly opened her GPS app to look for other directions, typing in the address. She’d gladly pace around to calm herself, but there were too many people to even budge from her spot.

"Please tell me there's another way to get there…"

Siyeon felt her soul leave her body when she only combinations of buses and walking as itineraries, all of them taking more around an hour to reach her destination, when it should have taken less than half an hour, and without physical exertion. Did she really have to go ? It’s not like Yoohyeon would be by herself, Yubin was there too.

"That strike sucks, right?" She heard someone close by say in Korean. A feminine, yet slightly deep voice. She didn't know if it was meant for her, but instinctively she raised her head from her phone. She found a pair of expectant eyes looking at her, belonging to a very Korean-looking girl. She was wearing a long coat and a scarf to protect herself from the cold, while remaining elegant.

"Sorry?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation.” She explained calmly. “By any chance, are you going to the Korean Cultural Center too?"

"You're also going to the event?" She said, surprised.

"Yeah, but I had other businesses to take care of before that and could only leave now." They heard shouts for the driver to let a mother with a baby stroller out and they both turned their head towards the bus to look at the scene. "This is a mess, not that I really expected otherwise," the other girl lamented, as if she'd seen this way too often.

She looked at the phone she was holding in her hand, screen lit up with a different transportation app opened. She showed it briefly to Siyeon, energetically shoving the screen in her face, before continuing. Siyeon had to take a step back from fear of collision.

"It says it's shorter to walk. Hopefully we'd be able to catch a bus once we leave this area. We only have to reach line 1 anyway, it's working properly." Siyeon spaced out for a while trying to comprehend what that implied. "If you don't mind walking, that is," she added to clarify, seeing that Siyeon wasn't responding.

"I guess there's no other choice. The bus is out of the question." In any other situation, Siyeon would have gone straight back home, buried herself in layers of blankets and netflixed the night away. No pain, no gain, they said. Well, Siyeon was on the no pain - at all - team. Making efforts for unequivalent results was the bane of her existence and that included walking as a means of transportation. Highly inefficient. If taxis weren't so expensive here, she'd probably use them way more, not that it would be relevant in her current predicament.

"Pretty much, yeah."

However, Yoohyeon had been bugging her to no end for days about this event at the new Korean Culture Center, and since they were leaving soon, she became scaringly persuasive. Weighing her options, the thought of her friend looking like a kicked puppy and constantly reminding her it was only because she didn't show up was unpleasant compared to suffering one evening. Her heart was sincerely torn.

"So, uhm… shall we go together?" The other girl offered, tentatively.

Also, the prospect of being in good company - because let's be honest, Siyeon wasn't blind and that was probably the reason she kept spacing out, was apparently enough to make her forget the fact they're about to walk for an hour.

"Sure, the more the merrier." She replied, still too slowly for a normal conversation.

She was a really good friend to Yoohyeon.

Well, had that girl not been on the balance of her decisions as well, maybe she would have been a bad friend and ditched the event. Who knows? Possibilities. For now, that girl seemed to have enough energy for them both.

"Great!" The girl grabbed Siyeon's arm then started to drag her out of the chaos of the bus stop and through the mass of people. See? Overflowing. "I'm Kim Bora, by the way."

"Lee Siyeon, nice to meet you."

"Oh and, you should change your navigation app."

"Why's that?"

"Google's fine for the subway but not that reliable for bus routes. Especially during strikes." Once they got to a relatively calmer place, Bora let go of her arm before unlocking her phone again. Silently, she pointed towards the direction they had to go in, then guided them through the streets of Paris.

"Why am I only learning about that now?" Siyeon groaned. She remembered the few times she got lost following the app's instructions. She had to transfer lines, but the platform for the other line was closed for construction work. She had stood in front of the subway map like an idiot trying to figure out another way, because of course the app still didn’t consider the issue.

"How long have you been here? Since you're going to the Cultural Center, I imagine you're not just on holidays."

Siyeon nodded.

"Three months, I'm here on exchange."

“One semester?”

“Yup.”

"Cool. Where do you study?"

"Diderot? Do you know it?" Bora nodded and hummed in approval. "How about you? You sound like you know the city's in and out." Most probably because of her behavior, her whole being screamed confidence.

"Maybe not to that extent, but soon it'll be a year, so yeah, you could say I know my way around. I’m on exchange as well. "

"Wow, respectable. I'm counting on you then."

* * *

"The subway is so overrated, don't you think?"

Siyeon huffed. They had been walking for a solid thirty minutes now, but the lines of car didn't reduce. On the contrary, it seemed even busier and any hope of catching a bus had been crushed to pieces.

"Totally. I mean, who actually wants to pass by the sweet smell of urine and get robbed at any given opportunities?" Bora threw her hands up in defeat. "Because I don't. I'd much rather walk an hour."

"Don't remind me, a friend of mine got her phone stolen the week she arrived. I'm still getting paranoid sometimes."

"Have you ever transferred at Nation? I swear there's a microclimate in there, my hair always end up like a mess because of the draft."

"No but that sounds like an experience. Can we talk about Châtelet? I've never been NOT lost in that maze."

"As long as I don't need to go to the surface I'm fine now. Otherwise I just take the closest exit and come what may. I gave up on remembering." she shrugged, digging her free hand in her pockets.

"Same!"

They both laughed at their memories. It may sound like they were pissed, but the exchange was only playful.

"I'd say the feeling is quite similar to meeting someone at Hongdae exit 9." Bora said, trying to remember other equivalent situations back in Korea.

"An absolute nightmare, yet we keep doing it?"

"Exactly!"

Her assigned buddy at uni had explained to her that one of the rare times you wouldn't get judged for talking to a stranger in Paris was to complain about something consensual like shitty weather, lack or inefficiency of the transportation system, strike or all of the above. Then it's perfectly fine. Siyeon never knew that she would apply this herself with someone from her own country.

Visiting and living in a country where definitely two very different things, Siyeon thought. They were bound to experience both the good and the bad it had to offer. After several months, Siyeon didn't think of Paris as the most beautiful nor the most romantic city in the world. She had enough time to go to most of the districts and see another Paris, the Paris where people lived, entirely different from what people visit. The filter of movies and stories had faded since long, making Siyeon appreciate it for what it is, fairly with its flaws.

That was probably the same for Bora. With every anecdote, she could see the girl’s eye shine with sparks that only proved attachment to the capital city, and Siyeon was glad Bora kept focusing on her phone and the road, because she was sure she entered some kind of trance listening her every word and observing the emotions shown on her side profile. Bora radiated a compelling energy Siyeon was drowning into.

She didn’t even notice that Bora had turned to face her and she felt panic creeping within her when she saw the serious look on her face. She had probably noticed her staring. Stop it, Siyeon!

"Oh my god, we're complaining so much. Do you think we're becoming French too?" Bora asked, horrified.

Siyeon laughed at the unexpected realization.

"I'm genuinely scared." Siyeon placed a hand on her chest, despair fake on her face.

"It's alright, let's purify our bodies by going to Paris Baguette someday soon." Siyeon arched an eyebrow, mouth slightly agape.

"What? They have it here as well? I never knew."

Not that she’d have gone for sure, but it was a fun fact nice knowing. Also, was Bora somehow implying that she wanted to see her again?

"What in the world have you been doing for the past three months? Well, it's very low key here, and really like a regular bakery. I must say that it loses its original charm, but I doubt the French would be ready for the full experience.”

Siyeon rolled her eyes.

“They’d probably call us heretics.”

"And you dare call this breaaaad?" Bora said doing her best imitation of a French accent. "You shall receive punishment from the mighty Baguette!" She then proceeded to hit Siyeon jokingly, acting as if her arm was a piece of bread.

* * *

"Aren't you cold holding your phone like that?"

They had just crossed the first bridge leading them to the right bank, welcoming the historical area with relief as the subway wasn’t that far now. The wind was a bit stronger now and Siyeon had noticed Bora regularly rubbing her hand holding the phone, sometimes switching hands so she could bury it in her coat pocket, trying to provide some warmth as they still needed constant directions.

“I’m fine, we’re almost there.”

“Don’t be so stubborn.”

Siyeon removed her gloves with the intention of giving them to Bora, making the other girl look at her with curious eyes and a slightly red nose. The sight before her was so cute she had to try. If Bora was nice, she’d politely reject the offer without commenting on it and that’d be it. Though, the fact that the other girl 'inadvertently' - she didn't want to assume she did it on purpose - brushed or even bumped against on several occasions as they were walking in close proximity - even on wider sidewalks - supported her theory that it could work. She put one glove back on and held out the other to Bora.

“I’m only lending you one.”

“O...kay.” Bora didn’t understand but took it anyway. She put it on, then went to put the uncovered hand in her pocket.

“Uh-uh. Give me your other hand."

That's what Siyeon said, but truth is, she directly reached for the free hand with her own. Even if she thought it'd work, she still half-expected for the shorter girl to withdraw. Sure, Bora looked puzzled for a second but that didn't happen, and instead, she felt her rub their hands together to produce additional warmth. Siyeon should have done that way earlier, as Bora's hand was ice cold. 

"That's nice," Bora simply said.

They reached the second bridge, thus leaving the small island. Siyeon was starting to actually recognize their surroundings. The subway wasn't that far now. She took Bora's phone then put it in their girl's pocket. She'd be able to lead them starting this point. Bora didn't react and turned her head to the side.

"You know, we may complain a lot but," Bora watched the night lights dance on the water in countless flickers then raised her gaze to the Conciergerie, then on the other side, to maimed Notre-Dame standing ever so proudly in the distance, "I think, it's not that bad. The sky is clear and, look at the scenery, it's beautiful."

Siyeon looked around as well, taking in the historical buildings around them. Monuments that witnessed hundreds of years of life; you couldn't see that everywhere. The architecture made it so refined and expensive, though now, it appeared to her like just another building in the background.

"Yeah, we're probably this salty because we've stayed here for a long time, but I guess we're still lucky in a way."

"That, we are! Come on, let's take a picture!" She beamed, breaking contact between their hands. She went to the edge of the walkway facing the Seine and took out her phone with the other arm gesturing to Siyeon to join her. She obliged, Bora pulling her closer against her. She felt the warmth spread throughout her body.

"To commemorate our meeting and that huge ass strike." Bora said before pressing the shutter.

They posed for a set of pictures ranging from the classic V sign to crackhead exaggerated modeling. Siyeon appreciated that Bora didn't take things too seriously. It also helped her out things into perspective regarding the whole situation.

"To commemorate our meeting and that huge ass strike."

* * *

They finally made it to the station, and even managed to get seats, allowing their legs numb from walking some relief. They were face to face, another thing different from Korea that she’d come to like.

“I’ll miss it.”

Siyeon let out in heartfelt and bittersweet tone, leaning her head on the window. Bora smiled, understanding. They didn’t really need to explain, the lack of other words was loud enough.

“I’ll miss it too.”

“I mean, maybe even strikes, because I got to meet you today.”

She jokingly winked at the other girl to ease the atmosphere. The evening turning into sappy reminiscing was the last thing she wanted. No pain, Siyeon had said, but tonight might have been the exception. Bora wriggled her eyebrows knowingly.

“Oh you don’t know about that, maybe we’d have met at the event still?”

Who knows? Possibilities. Siyeon shifted on her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position.

“I’m very satisfied with this version.”

She closed her eyes to appreciate the moment, a contented smile drawing on her lips. The sound of the train and faded conversations from the passengers lulled her.

“But imagine there’s a problem on the line and we have to walk again?”

“Shut up. I thought we were having a moment.”

* * *

“Oh my god, finally!”

Siyeon covered her ears. Yoohyeon had shouted, attracting unwanted attention to them as several heads turned in their direction. It was too late for her to act as she didn't know the tall girl so she just endured the stares.

“Stop being so dramatic, I came here as fast as I could.”

"Yeah, yeah, next time I'm dragging you there myself, strike or not."

Siyeon shrugged when she saw Yoohyeon point at her own eyes with two fingers then at hers in a warning motion.

"Next time I'll stay in bed, mark my words." She stated solemnly in return.

"Sure, huh. By the way, who's she?" With a motion from her head, Yoohyeon gestured towards Bora, who was standing behind her quietly, not wanting to disturb the two friends, occasionally scanning the room. Siyeon moved on side so that she could introduce her.

"This is Kim Bora,. We met after I called you, then we just kinda walked till here."

"Great! I'm Kim Yoohyeon, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Yoohyeon put her hands on Siyeon shoulders while making a step forward.

"Wait, just stay here, I'm gonna find Yubin."

With that she disappeared, leaving Siyeon and Bora on their own again. It seemed the high from their journey had died down. They fidgeted on their feet for a few fleeting seconds before Bora spoke.

“So, I need to find my friends in there too but, uhm… In case we don’t see each other again tonight…. You haven’t really replied for that Paris Baguette thing. Do you want to go together? Or somewhere else? It’s been fun walking across all of Paris with you."

Okay, she wasn't really implying earlier, she was really just outright asking. On a side note, that was the most hesitant Siyeon had seen Bora for the short amount of time they’d known each other, and the fact that it was because of her made her a tiny bit happy. If the change of temperature with the outside hadn't been so brutal, she'd even like to think the flush on her cheeks was from embarrassment. She replied in a heartbeat.

"I'd love to."


End file.
